1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to electronic imaging devices and more particularly to a system and method for controlling parameters in an electronic imaging device.
2. Description of the Background Art
Effective control of user preferences and system parameters is an important consideration for users, designers and manufacturers of many electronic devices and systems. Control of system parameters is particularly important in modern electronic imaging systems (such as digital camera devices) which often feature a substantial number of system parameters that are adjustable depending upon individual user preferences. Examples of such adjustable camera preferences include selectable exposure settings, image compression ratios, camera flash settings and zoom speed specifications.
Efficiently controlling the operating parameters of an electronic imaging device ideally allows the system user to capture image data of maximum quality. However, in order to consistently capture high-quality image data, the system for controlling camera operating parameters must be both flexible and powerful. System flexibility provides satisfactory methods to fulfill user needs and preferences, depending upon the current photographic environment. A powerful system results from efficiently providing techniques to control the operating parameters in a user-friendly and effective manner.
Some conventional imaging systems have adjustable operating parameters which are not retained after a system powerdown occurs. In portable imaging systems typically powered by batteries (for example, digital cameras), the system must remain constantly powered to retain current parameter settings (for example, an exposure setting). A system user must therefore risk battery failure at an inopportune moment, or repeatedly reset the desired operating parameters each time the imaging system is powered up.
Other conventional imaging systems have the ability to simply set a user preference which is then "remembered" as a default value after the system is powered down and subsequently powered up again. This implementation has a significant disadvantage because the default value is altered each time that a particular corresponding preference is adjusted. Since the default value directly tracks the current parameter setting, this particular implementation is relatively inflexible and ineffective from the system user's perspective.
Still other conventional imaging systems have limited capabilities to manipulate the various system operating parameters. For example, such imaging systems may lack the ability to selectively restore particular system defaults as required by a system user. In other words, the command set for controlling user preferences and operating parameters is not sufficiently powerful.
As the foregoing discussion suggests, effective and efficient functioning of an electronic imaging device may be enhanced by a flexible and powerful approach to controlling operating parameters. Therefore, an improved system and method are needed for controlling parameters in an electronic imaging device, according to the present invention.